Twelve Roses
by Hells-angel8
Summary: Sequel to For You. As Heero sits by Duo's bedside, he recalls everything that Duo is to him and how much he needs Duo to be in his life.


Title: Twelve Roses

Author: Hells-angel8

Paring: 1x2

Rating: R

Category: Drama/angst/sap

Warnings: Lots of angst, lime, suggestions of violence

Summary: Sequel to For You. As Heero sits by Duo's side he recalls everything that Duo is to him and how much he needs Duo to be in his life.

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"Twelve roses. I bought you a dozen roses and each one has a meaning. No, don't say anything. Save your strength and sleep sweet dreams that will keep you safe. I love you Duo, with all my heart, body, and soul. You are my soul mate. The only one for me."

As you lie there on this warm sterilized bed, I can't help but wonder if this has been all my fault. "I know you don't like me thinking those thoughts and that's why this first rose is for them. My thoughts are always of you. It doesn't matter where you are, I can't keep my mind off of you. How are you feeling? What is the matter with you? Are you frightened? Do you even know what's going on?"

"I can answer all those questions just by the expressions on your face and the features that show them. I have five roses that are for each one."

"Your beautiful eyes sparkle like amethyst jewels when they are open, yet now they are closed as you sleep. Your eyes can tell me so much. They darken when you're passionate or angry. They shower tears when you're sad and need me to make you feel safe once again. They shine when your happy and are laughing with glee. You can't hide from me when you're scared since your eyes will tell me. I'll hold you and chase them all away so I can see that everlasting light in your eyes, my beautiful Duo."

"Your mouth with its full lips is number three. How many times have I kissed you and a breathy plea escaped your lips, daring me to give you more. I have always given you all that I am. You are a part of me and even when we aren't joined in that pleasurable haven. We don't have to be, I know you are always in my heart."

"Your nose at the center of your face, pert and small yet, when you snuggle it against my neck at night it's always there. You've gotten so used to having my smell surround you that you can't sleep without burying your nose against my skin in some way or another. Small puffs of air escape from there while you sleep or when you just breathe me in. There have been many times when I couldn't figure out what you were doing until I saw you sleep without me."

I had to go on a long assignment for Preventers and even though you said you were fine. You really weren't. It wasn't a lie really. You can function without me and are much stronger than you seem to realize. I finally came back home to you, only to find your face shoved in my pillow.

I tried to be quiet. I tried not to wake you, but you always could tell my fresh scent from a stale one.

Those closed eyes slowly opened, tired and confused until you realized I was right next to you and you pulled me down onto the bed. Long legs wrapped around me and for a moment I was confused until you tightened your hold on me and I gave in, letting you have me as much as you chose.

Laying there with you when we both finally got comfortable, I realize you were bare, naked and yet so warm. I tossed off all my clothes and joined you, but we didn't do anything. You just curled up in my arms and breathed me in, your face buried in my neck and fell back to sleep. My presence a comfort to you and you stayed like that the entire night not moving an inch, content to sleep pressed against me.

"Your ears always press against my chest when you fear that my heart will stop beating for you. They get to hide amongst the golden waves of your hair and I love each and every one of those tresses. I treasure your hair as much as you do and enjoy taking care of it to a point that's almost obsessive."

I remember when we had a fight months ago from now, when you thought I wanted nothing to do with you anymore. Quatre had come into my office looking for you, but found me there instead since you had left to get us some lunch. Quatre was so upset. His sister was caught up in a disaster and needed to talk to somebody since Trowa was gone. He had an undercover mission and couldn't be contacted in any way.

Quatre launched himself at me and hugged me so hard that he was shaking. I tried to calm him down as best as I could and rested my head against his. His small form felt so different from Duo's in my arms and I hugged him and tried to soothe him as best as I could. Duo came in just as I was saying that even though Trowa was gone on assignment he would always love him.

Unfortunately, Duo heard the 'always would love you' part and threw our lunch at me and bolted. The hurt in his eyes made my heart ache and I tried to catch him, but he's always been fast when he wanted to be. Quatre tried to call him on his cell phone, but he had turned it off. I tried to call him at home, at Hilde's, any place I could think of. Quatre was so sorry, he didn't think Duo would ever act like that and normally he wouldn't.

We had been tense lately, working on a case that dealt with orphans that were picked up, brutalized and left for dead. It hit close to home in Duo's heart and he began to pull away from me. I assumed he needed space so I gave him it. We would go to work, sometimes for sixteen hours a day and pour over all the information we had gathered. We still hadn't found the sick bastard and Duo was unable to sleep well at night. I tried to comfort him, but he didn't want to be and so I went and slept on the couch.

It was the wrong thing to do.

I should have pushed him harder, but I didn't and Duo thought I hated him. Hated what he was, where he came from, and how much this case had shown me what he had been at one time. He thought that finally seeing the brutality of the streets done to others made me see him that way. I didn't, but I also didn't think to bring it up and tell him that either.

It was late at night that I finally thought to search one more place and found him sitting on the water fountain in the park. He was wearing his clubbing gear and his hair was a mess. He had never let it get that bad.

I slowly approached him, but he didn't move, didn't flinch as I kneeled in front of him and looked up into his tear streaked face. He asked me if I had come to tell him it was over. That I would leave him right where he sat and leave him for the criminal who was terrorizing the orphans on the streets. Let the bastard take him and rape him and leave him for dead. He told me it was fine, but he hoped Trowa knew about what we were doing. Maybe it had been going on between the three of us the entire time since I didn't want him anymore.

My heart broke at his words and I gathered him to me and hugged him hard in my arms. I felt his tears soak through my clothes and told him there wasn't anything going on between me and Quatre or Trowa. He was the only one I wanted. I was just trying to calm him down since he was so upset. Duo wanted to know why I said I loved Quatre then and I told him he didn't hear everything I said. I told him how I was saying that when Trowa got back he would hold him and he would always love him. Duo laughed a bit, but it broke out into a sob and brought on the flood of tears that poured from his eyes. I held him as he cried and carried him home.

I told him everything, about how I gave him space, how I thought I was helping him, and that I would never put space between us again unless either of us asked for it followed by a good reason why it had to be so. Duo led us to our room and I made gentle love to him. He cried as he came and curled up on my chest listening to the beat of my heart. I promised him it always would beat for him.

Whenever we had a fight, which wasn't very often we would separate for a while to cool down, but neither of us would go very far ever since that night.

He was afraid of losing me and when we made up he would always come and sit in my lap, laying his head against me to listen to my heart beat for him. He would spread his hair around us like a silken cape that protected the both of us from what had caused us to fight to begin with it seemed. It was his way of telling me he was sorry and I would brush and braid his hair once we felt safe and comfortable with each other once more.

"I wish I could wrap you up in my arms now, but I can't. So I'll just hold your hand instead, my sweet love. So I will continue to tell you what your roses mean."

"Your cheeks, they are tinged pink when we make love and when you are uncomfortable. I don't have many opportunities to embarrass you, but you can do that just fine by yourself."

"The heat and passion that you show for me as we move together in unison as we make gentle music together with our voices and our bodies is something I had never dreamed before I met you. I love the heat you radiate and it floods your delicate cheeks when you least expect it. I know the passion we create can move mountains when we need it to and so the seventh rose is for that. Our passion."

"Your beauty is beyond compare and even though you blush and tell me you aren't beautiful, you are. You are beautiful, both inside and out. The way you carry yourself through each and every situation with grace is a characteristic I don't possession. You say I do, but I don't see it. I only see it within you. Maybe I spend too much time gazing at you, yet it is anything but a waste of time."

"I could look at you forever and not tire of seeing you, maybe that's why you blush so much when our passion is at its highest. Whether you're above me or below me, I will forever enjoy seeing the look on your face as we make love."

"You laugh at me when I tell you about how certain days I just want to curl up around you and keep you safe from harm forever. Sometimes I wonder why you think it's funny when I'm being sincere."

He believes me, but he thinks it's funny that I would want to just sit around and protect him as much as I can. He knows I'm serious and will always keep my promises to him. He's a joker when the mask slips on, but no matter what his laugh stays true to how he feels.

"The tenth rose is for your laugh, may it always stay true."

"I know I said I love making love to you and you once thought that was all I loved about you. There was always more to you than how good in bed you are. It's an added bonus, but it was never the reason I fell in love with you.

"Your body is a temple and I worship it whenever I get the chance to do so. I haven't stayed with you this long because of it, my darling Duo."

"The smooth, supple skin that covers your body is like a map of what we went through together in all its finery. There are scars along almost every part of your body and I can feel them when I travel all over the pathways to make you gasp in pleasure. Each scar has a story and though I know what most of them are, there are a few that you haven't told me about. Memories grafted from your harsh childhood, yet you weren't really ever a child to begin with."

"We both have spent a good portion of our lives thinking about what we never had, yet I wouldn't give you up for anything in the world. I'll take the time to remind you forever of what we share and there are no bounds to our love."

"The last rose is for your soul, so bright that it eclipses all the darkness that was in my heart before I met you. I was so lost until you found me and shined light into my empty, lonely life. I'll spend the rest of my life thanking you in every way that I can and so you see my beloved Duo, I would follow you into death just to be with you."

"You almost died on me and I couldn't let you go. I was ready to die by your side when the doctors called me last night and said the bastards we were after found out who you were and tried to silence you. One of them got lucky and shot right at your heart. It grazed it and you fought for your life with everything you had."

"Your back up was reckless and even though they got you to the hospital on time. The doctor told me your heart stopped once while he was operating on you. All monitors beeped in warning and the nurse yelled for a code blue. The doctor shocked your heart back to life, even as your lungs failed and your eyes remained closed. The doctor wouldn't give up even though the nurse said you were gone, he wouldn't stop and your heart finally began to beat anew."

"They said it was a miracle and I agreed with them, but I knew you wouldn't leave me and is another reason why I brought these twelve roses to you. Each one symbolizes what I love about you. Each one tells of how I can't live without you."

"I would do anything for you. I can't live without you. I would die for you, but I'd rather protect you from anything that would harm you."

"Maybe when you're better we'll go clubbing again, just the two of us late at night when there are only a few remaining people and I will dance just for you. I would climb onto the stage and sing my heart out to you, to tell you how much I love you."

"And I do."

"I love you, Duo." Those sleepy eyelids flutter and my breath stops, just listening to the tiny sound of a moan. Your eyebrows furrow in frustration then those heavy eyelids rise to show those violet jewels I love so much.

"Heero..." he whispers, his voice hoarse and raw.

"I'm here, my love. I'm always here for you." He reaches out weakly and I take his hand in mine.

"I know you are, love. Love you." He whispers it so softly, but I hear him. I kiss his fingers tenderly, avoiding the IV in his hand and kissing gently around it. He sighs a bit, closing his eyes once again. "Get that number on the bus that hit me will you?" I chuckle and nod and promise him I will.

I look at him a catch him staring at me. The sadness in his eyes drawing me in closer to him until I can feel his breath upon my cheek. "You still have me love. I didn't leave you."

I feel the tears coming and don't fight to stop them. Duo understands and caresses my cheek gently. He knows how much he scared me. He knows how much I'm willing to give in order to keep him safe. Hell, I'd rip out my own heart and give him mine if it meant I could save him.

Duo comforts me by running his fingers through my hair. I feel him weave a delicate pattern upon my scalp and tug me closer to him. I look at him and engrave his beautiful face upon my memory. He smirks at me from under the sweaty fringe of his bangs and can hear the laugh in his voice as he speaks.

"So did you wake me up like sleeping beauty, or did you just remember the flowers and decided to turn into a poet on me instead of the kick-ass agent that I know and love?" His voice is still hoarse, but it is getting a bit clearer. I smile back at him and lean forward to kiss him gently on the lips. He welcomes it and tries to pull me closer, but I resist him since I don't want to hurt him. He seems to understand and lets me go with one last quick kiss.

"I didn't trying the sleeping beauty trick, but I did remember the flowers." I tell him sheepishly, he just grins and looks over the red roses and reaches out to stroke the soft petals.

"They're lovely," he whispers. "But not as welcome a sight as you are. I should've seen it coming, but I didn't and look where it got me."

"It wasn't it your fault. I'm just glad you're all right." I tell him and wait for the 'I'm being way too over-protective speech.' It doesn't come. Duo is staring at me and I can tell this undercover assignment shook him the most. "Duo?" He shakes his head and beckons me closer. I lean down and his warm breath caresses my ear.

"Maybe next time we get into a mess, I'll be the one spouting poetry and saying how much I can't live without you, while you're laying in a hospital bed. I love you too, Heero. But if you ever, and I mean ever think about dying on me, I'll follow you to the after life and back if there is one. Understand?"

"Perfectly." I did understand, a bit too well than I cared to admit to Duo. Every promise I made to him I intended to keep and I would never leave him if I could help it.

As I watched him fall back to sleep and couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have him. Duo Maxwell, the love of my life, I would keep forever in my heart.

That's what true soul mates do, isn't it?

We keep each other in our hearts and even when our bodies die or souls will fly and become one.

That's what we are.

We are one.

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The end.

A/N: I plot bunny bit me as I was staring at red roses while I was shopping the other day. Hopefully you liked it as the sequel to 'For You'.

Please Review.


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